There is a demand for meal packages that include a heating medium. These meals can be used by hikers, climbers, forest fire fighting crews, etc. The largest demand is for tasty, convenient meals for military personnel to carry while in action on maneuvers. The self-contained heat source eliminates the necessity to carry stoves and fuel, and the meal can be heated without a hot fire or flame which can be easily detected by infra-red detectors by the enemy.
The most widely used heating medium is based on the reaction of quicklime and water. However, in order to provide an optimum package, weight and cost are principal considerations. Also important is the ability to heat the food without causing overboiling and spattering of the lime-water reaction mixture which can be a hazard to the user or can contaminate the food.